Semi-weekly south Kentuckian. [volume] (Hopkinsville, Ky.) 1883-1889, 1887-03-01

who was nearly wild with grief at the
loss of the one being whom he had to
love in the wide world. Only for things
that his mother said to him before she
fell asleep, | fear Tad would have drift
ed into the ways Of too many OF our
city boys who. like him, are left home
less and friendess amid temptation and
sin. But the boy had good stuff in
him, anu, best of all. he held his moth
er's memory and parting words as
something too sacred to be forgotten.
lido not claim that he was one of those
immaculate street boys common enough
in fiction, but, alasl so rare in fact By
no means. Truth compels me to state
! that Tad Thorne at the age of fourteen
was rather rude in speech, quick-tem-
percd and the owner of decidedly
obstinate disposition, which, however,
was readily affected by kindly words.
Yet. do you wonder at his faultsp The
only wonder TO myself is that Tad did
not become really bad boy; for since
his mothers death he had, rs one may
say, almost lived in the streets, For
Tad had no home. A friendly news
vender gave him lodgings under his
periodical counter IN the city post
Office, in return for which Tad sold pa
pers or ran errands. And in odd mo-
ments he had managed to keep soul
and body together by backing boots,
peddling matches, carrying valises,
holding horses, and score of other de-
vices known to the average street boy.
have mentioned Tad's faults; now
let me tellyo some of his better quail
ties. Hewas honest. elean-mouthed. and,
generally speaking, truthful, as well as
kind-hearted and generous to an ex-
traYagant degree He had attended the
night schools attracted at first by
their warmth aud comfort-where he
learned to read creditably, spell fairly,
write legibly and cipher understand
ingly. But.with his superiority in many
respects over the associates among
whom his lot of late had been thrown,
Tad, in thinking matters over, had to
confess tliat, in a business point Of
view, he had been any thing but a sue
cess. The truth is, Tad was not sharp
or INSCRIPTIONS enough to compete
with his fellows; but this fact he did
not recognize. bqn Dr ,gaG
guess I'm not one Of the lucky
ones he murmured. rather ruefully,
as he mentally reviewed his many
business failures, while the swift train,
which was bearing him away from the
scene of them all, to fresh fields and
pastures new, went laundering on
through the darkness toward Boston.
~ Boston!' As Tad's thoughts reverted
from the past, the name repeated itself
over in his mind, q Seems as though
heard mother say once that ] had IN
Aunt Rhoda who lived in Boston, or
Bangor, or-anyway, 1t was place
that began with b, somewhere down
East y unused Tad. Not that no
hoped, expected oreven desired to meet
this, the only relative he knew of in
the world II was enough to remember
that she had never held communication
with Mrs. Thorne since her marriage to |
some one whom her older sister Rhoda |
aid not like. And n SLIGHT offered 70 |
his mother was m 4l1at's ewes an nm |
pardonable oflense.
Bnt 81 much thinkino tocether with
the warmth Of the stean-beatinp mines
nj his hack and the Gwen. on-rusbino
movement 81 the train. bec,,n TO make |
Tad drowsv. Pcepipo ont of his hiding
place. he could see that many az the |
passengers were disposing themselves
for Uneasy slumber and. Judging by |
certain sounds from the chair in front Of |
him. Tad's lady was already in dream.
land. So. leaning his head back against
the fur-lined cloak which had already
served him, such a good turn, and. |
being used to sleeping in all sorts of
postures and places, Tad fell fast asleep
in no time. Rousing himself at inter-
walls long enough to silently change his
cramped position, Tad passed the long
night in comparative comfort, until |
with the dawn Of morning all began to |
shake ssas g, their ,.fswsiaess, ana! to
struggle into more comfortable posi-.
tions. as they grumbled about not hav-
ing slept a wink during the night.
Tad's lady was not exactly cross, but
Tad noticed that she called her hus-
band Mr.! Mason instead Of aJohn.
dear, y as on the evening before, when
She asked him how he had rested. And |
he also noticed that Mr.. Mason's voice
was rather sharp as he replied that the
COMPOUNDED chair had given him three
distinct kinks in his backbone, and
while economy was well enough IN its
place, by Georgel another time he'd
have his own way, and take section
in sleeper as sure as his name
was John Masonl
$50, my lady is Mrs. John Mason,'r
Tad thought to himself, trying in his |
Imagination to picture her face from |
the sound of her voice, and failing en-
tirely. But without well knowing why.
he resolved not to forget the name Of |
A. - - =. 4 1910 ~ - |